Indelible
by Charismaticbreeze
Summary: It's the summer of '89 and the Chipmunks and Chipettes are headed to Bali for a benefit concert. They don't know what's stranger: The prophecy that's coming true, or the head of the charity their concert is for. Can they make it home in one piece?
1. Chapter 1

Indelible

All characters are copy-righted by Bagdasarian Productions. Any songs and/or lyrics mentioned belong to their respective owners.

Author's Note

Dearest Reader,

I know that many people go straight to the story and skip the prologue, the epilogue, or both. In fact, I used to do that. That was, until I started writing. Authors take the time to write these bits of information, the least you can do is read them. In almost every case, the information is a vital part of the story. This is one of those cases.

I have worked hard on this story for your reading pleasures, and would appreciate it if you take pleasure in reading the _whole_ story. I have even taken the time to make sure every part of this story is accurate to it's time period. Let us assume that the Chipmunks met the Chipettes when they were roughly eight years old in 1983, thus making them about 14 in 1989, the time period of this story. Every song I have them sing was either released in 1989 or a few years before. I have even done some research on both the location of the setting, and the language spoken. Some of the translations may be a bit off, but for the most part it is correct. The deciphering of the dream's credit goes to The Dreamer's Dictionary by Lady Stearn Robinson and Tom Corbett.

Please enjoy this story. Perhaps it will inspire you to write a fan-fic of your own. In which case, you have my warmest wishes of good luck.

Thank you for your time,

Charismaticbreeze

Indelible: That cannot be eliminated, forgotten, or changed; permanent

Prologue

The faint beating of drums was in the air. He was close and he knew it. He hacked at the thick leaves and vines with a large sword. He parted two overhanging branches and saw the large valley. There was one large bonfire in the center. He curled his lip in disgust at their heathen rituals.

He walked forward confidently and looked down at the guards with distain.

"I'm here to speak with Sonaroh." He drawled blandly. The guards looked at one another skeptically and led him into their city, their spears pressed against his abdomen.

A rather large _creature_ emerged from within a large stone building and sauntered over to him with a look of discomfort on his face.

"We've already thought over your offer, if you can call it that. Sounded more like a threat to me. Our answer is no." He grumbled, his deep voice wavering slightly.

"Well, it seems to me like you have no choice. Let me tell you something, _rodent_. You have no rights. You're not even acknowledged by the government as a species, therefore you are not protected. Without my little proposition, you will all be killed by the good people of Denpasar." He growled, lowering himself to Sonaroh's height.

"Give us a few more days, please." Sonaroh pleaded, his big brown eyes glazing over. Wellington nodded gruffly.

"Exactly five days. I'm willing to do it the hard way, you know." He said with a menacing growl.

1

Brittany Miller rued the day she met that sorry excuse for a chipmunk. After he had so kindly dubbed them the Chipettes, she had been ever so grateful. How naïve she was then. They did have the occasional argument, but in general, she truly cared about Alvin Seville.

She couldn't remember a time when he wasn't trying to beguile some unsuspecting human. His excuse was that there wasn't really a wide variety of pretty female chipmunks in the area. That really stung.

He had pulled many tricks on her, made many bets with her, and yes, the oh-so-sweet Captain Chipmunk incident. She did get a slave for about a month there, but she couldn't really get over it. She never tossed any of these memories aside. Instead, she just locked them away, one after the other, in her vault of despair.

The race around the world wasn't necessarily about the money, though that did sweeten the deal. Several weeks without seeing him gave her time to heal those wounds. But like most wounds, they liked to open up from time to time when she was most vulnerable. Those wounds were acting up now. She shut her eyes, hoping to clear her mind.

Instead, she dreamt. She saw an older chipmunk with long golden hair pulled up into an elegant twist.

"Hello?" She called out to the chipmunk sitting on the mossy rock.

"Brittany, my dear. Come closer." She beckoned to her and patted the empty space beside her.

Brittany walked over cautiously and found herself wrapped in the arms of the beautiful stranger. The chipmunk began to stroke her hair gently, murmuring softly, her voice thickly accented.

"Brittany, darling:

Love the one who shines like a star,

Close to the colors of indigo and black.

Seek the comfort of the cold, but loving rain,

If you wander, you shan't go back."

Brittany awoke with a gasp. She pressed her hand against her chest, taking deep breaths. _What was that?_ She slowly got up and tip-toed to her dresser. She took out a pad of paper and ripped off a sheet. She stopped to gaze at her framed picture of Alvin. There were several cracks in the glass from all of the times she'd thrown it at the wall. She grabbed a sparkling pink pen and wrote down the words of the strange chipmunk.

"The one who shines like a star…" She whispered to herself. She didn't know anyone who shone as much as she did.

"Indigo and black…" She didn't really care for those colors. They were dark and drab.

"Cold but loving rain…" She hated the rain. It made her hair frizz.

She shook her head and looked at her alarm clock. It was 4:45 in the morning. She sighed, slipping back into her bed. The cool silky fabric of her nightgown tickled her legs as it slid up her thighs. She rolled it back down and shut her eyes again.

The rest of the night was peaceful and dream-free. She woke up bright and early at 7:00 o'clock feeling well rested. She got out of bed and headed for the bathroom. She winced as she placed her feet onto the cold tile floor.

After a nice hot shower and some preening in the mirror, she scurried off to her room to get dressed. She slipped on a jean skirt that flared when she spun and a light pink shirt that hung loosely on her shoulders. She threw on a faux pink diamond choker and skipped down the stairs to greet her sisters and Miss Miller.

Eleanor smiled approvingly at her sister's outfit. "Nothing too tight or too short? Who are you and what have you done with Brittany Miller?" She asked with mock concern.

Brittany rolled her eyes and grabbed a banana walnut muffin off of the counter. She bit into it as she sat in a chair by the table. She pulled the scrap of paper out of her pocket and examined its content.

"What've you got there Britt?" Jeanette asked curiously. She was stirring her cereal in with some milk. She liked it nice and soggy.

"Um, nothing. Just some algebra notes." She quickly stuffed the sheet back into her pocket.

"Studying over summer break? I don't believe it." Ellie said shaking her head.

Brittany swallowed hard and finished her muffin. She walked out into the living room and plopped onto the couch. She let out a sigh and waited for her sisters to enter the room. They were smarter than that. They could tell something was wrong.

Eleanor dragged Jeanette into the room and they each took their positions at Brittany's sides. They glanced at her in a comforting way.

"Spill it, Brittany. What's wrong?" Eleanor said, her warm brown eyes filled with genuine concern.

Brittany nibbled on her bottom lip and lowered her gaze. She pulled out the paper and handed it to Eleanor. She took it and read over it carefully. Her eyes grew wider with each line.

"Brittany, what is this?"

"I had a dream last night. A chipmunk with long blonde hair told this to me."

Eleanor handed the paper to Jeanette who pored over it and looked up with confusion.

"This doesn't make any sense." She shook her head and her eyebrows descended. She brightened up as an idea struck her.

"I'll ask Simon. He should be able to figure this out. It sounds like a riddle."

Jeanette herded her sisters out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

2

"Is this really necessary?" Brittany asked nervously. "I mean, it's hot out there!"

Her complaints were ignored as they made their way to the Seville residence. Eleanor walked across the street, dodging cars and people jogging with their pets. She smiled at a Golden Lab and knocked on the door.

David Seville opened the door in his bathrobe and greeted them warmly. He ushered them in. Jeanette rushed into the living room and skidded to a stop beside the sofa.

Brittany walked forward, her head held high. She saw that Jeanette was already sitting on the sofa beside Simon, the paper firmly in his grasp. Eleanor was behind her waving at Theodore. Brittany glared at her sister and Ellie immediately sat in a recliner to her left.

Brittany smoothed out her skirt and sat on a rocking chair near the sofa. She narrowed her eyes, the sneer she saw on Alvin's face sickening her. You give a guy false hope that he has a chance with you, and like the pompous ass he is, he has to hold it over your head!

"Hmm. Follow me. I've got a book that deciphers dreams upstairs in my bookcase." Simon started off down the hall, Eleanor and Jeanette hot on his trail.

"This ought to be good. Come on, Theodore." Alvin said, taking his brother by the hand and dragging him up the stairs.

Brittany bolted upright and walked up the stairs, skipping steps. She tucked a stray tendril of deep auburn hair behind her ear. Her deep blue eyes saw Simon thumbing through a slightly worn book. He had on a pair of blue and white striped pajamas and looked very strange sitting next to Jeanette who was wearing a dark blue halter-top and khaki shorts. Alvin was in a red jersey and matching sweat pants, tapping his foot impatiently. Theodore was sitting beside Ellie. He had on a mint green pair of pajamas and Ellie had on her pastel green dress.

Brittany walked in slowly, her skirt rubbing gently against the back of her thigh. She propped herself up against the bookcase. Alvin stopped pacing long enough to smirk at her before walking over to the bed. He leaned over Simon and tried to read the book, but it was upside-down from his view.

Simon gave up and shut the book. He sighed and scanned the paper again.

"Love the one who shines like a star. Well, people don't shine literally, so whoever this person is, they must shine from Brittany's point of view."

He looked up at her and straightened his glasses. She nodded slowly, pretending to think it over. Jeanette got off of the bed carefully and stood beside her sister.

"The second line is obvious. She must be very close to those colors, either emotionally, or physically. The third and fourth lines are harder to figure out. How can rain be loving?" He shook his head as Alvin grabbed the paper. He caught Brittany's gaze and raised an eyebrow. She turned away, a low growl tickling her throat.

"Tell me more about your dream Brittany." Simon said, standing up.

"Well, I was in some sort of jungle or forest. There was a female chipmunk with blonde hair sitting on a rock. She knew my name and told that to me." She said, gesturing to the sheet of paper.

Alvin began shaking his head. "Looks like Brittany's finally come undone."

"I'll show you coming undone, you spineless weasel!" She snarled, reaching out for his throat. Lucky for him, Jeanette was behind her, trying to hold her back. Eleanor jumped up and helped Jeanette. Simon and Theodore instinctively rushed to their brother's side.

"Britt! Stop it!" Eleanor said between clenched teeth. Brittany finally stopped struggling. She exhaled sharply and marched down the stairs, her sisters and the Chipmunks in tow. They stopped in front of the door and Brittany turned around. She snatched the paper out of Alvin's hand and stuffed it back into her pocket.

"It's a ravenous world, toots," He said coolly.

She nearly blew her top. How dare he quote her song? She snarled and ran out the door. Eleanor glanced at Alvin with distain before going after her sister. Jeanette smiled weakly before slowly backing out the door and shutting it.

Simon shook his head and sighed. "Do all of their visits have to end this way, Alvin?"

"Hey! She started it! Besides, she shouldn't be too upset. She worships me!" He said confidently. Theodore and Simon exchanged worried glances before going upstairs to get dressed.


	3. Chapter 3

3

Brittany stopped at a nearby park. She slowed and sat on a dull green bench. She crossed her legs and placed her face in her hands. She watched as the ducks in the pond swam serenely. She would give anything for that kind of tranquility.

Eleanor sat beside her, panting slightly from the run. She gently placed a hand on Brittany's shoulder. She followed her sister's gaze and smiled as she saw a young duckling struggle to catch up with its mother.

"Brittany, you can't let him get to you like this. You can't throw a temper tantrum every time he makes a stupid remark."

"It's just… he's such a cocky son of a-"

"Brittany! That's just his nature. There's no need for name-calling. Besides, you're one to talk. Your ego is just as large as his, if not bigger. Though, lately, you seem less confident. What's really going on?"

"It's nothing." She murmured. It was everything; but she wasn't about to admit that.

They both stood up by the time Jeanette arrived. They walked over to her, and together they walked home. As they walked in the door, Miss Miller sat them down on the couch.

"I have very important news. We're going to Bali for a concert to raise money for charity. Dave just told me."

Dave sat the boys down and took a deep breath.

"I know we haven't been on the road for a while, but we're headed to Bali this weekend to do a benefit concert. I just told Miss Miller. We'll be packed and ready to take off on Thursday night, and we'll arrive there on Saturday."

Alvin blinked a few times. "Where's Bali?"

"It's an island in Indonesia." Simon said with a groan.

Alvin nodded and rolled his eyes. "Of course it is! Wait a minute…the girls are coming too?"

"No, Alvin. Dave told Miss Miller for no reason what-so-ever." Simon hissed.

Alvin nodded slowly and stood up.

"Dave, you can't allow this! They'll ruin everything!" Alvin said, his eyes wide and pleading.

"Oh, Alvin! Don't be so melodramatic!" Theodore said with a sigh.

"Miss Miller! You can't let this happen! I'm not making the mistake of wearing a bikini while Alvin's around again." Brittany fumed. The last time she had done it, she was nine, and Alvin undid her straps, causing the whole thing to come undone. It was a good thing Jeanette had that towel.

"Oh, Brittany! Let it go. That was five years ago and Alvin didn't mean for it to come off. He just wanted to startle you." Eleanor said earnestly.

"Don't worry. Everything will be fine. You will even be in separate rooms." Miss Miller insisted.

Brittany caved in and nodded. Jeanette and Eleanor hugged her tight and laughed.

"You'll be in separate rooms, Alvin! It's not like you have to be with them 24/7." Dave said, exasperated by Alvin's stubbornness.

"Fine." Alvin spat, crossing his arms over his chest. Simon and Theodore leaned back on the couch with a sigh of relief.


	4. Chapter 4

4

Alvin packed his bathing suit as well as a bottle of suntan lotion. On the beds to the left and right of him, Simon and Theodore were packing their belongings, also. Alvin placed the last of his clothes in his red suitcase. He sat on the bed and watched his brothers finish packing.

Dave popped his head in the doorway, carrying his suitcases. "Come on, boys. Miss Miller should be here any minute."

Brittany used a special technique she had learned to fit as much in her suitcase as humanly possible. She got onto her bed, jumped onto the light pink suitcase, and clasped it shut. She jumped off and stood back, admiring her work.

She had managed to stuff five pairs of shoes, seven outfits, two bathing suits, and other essentials into one suitcase. Now she had to be careful when she opened it. She was ready for the concert. She even had the perfect outfit planned for the event. She would wear her silky white blouse with the pink roses on it and her white shorts with her rhinestone pink sandals to match the roses. She thought about the necklace she would wear. She wore the exact same rose choker the day she met the Chipmunks. Though it brought back unwanted memories, it did go nicely with the whole ensemble.

Jeanette and Eleanor helped Brittany haul the suitcases down the stairs. They put them down beside Miss Miller's small beige valise and matching suitcase. Brittany was wearing her favorite rose colored shirt and a matching skirt with a small slit up the side. Eleanor was wearing a forest green shirt and jeans. Jeanette wore a violet blouse with a blue plaited skirt.

They all hopped in the car and stopped by the Seville household to pick up the guys. Simon eyed Alvin and Brittany carefully. He slid in next to Brittany before Alvin had the chance. He smiled sheepishly at Jeanette who was glancing at him quizzically.

Brittany was just as shocked. "Oh, hello Simon."

"Hi." He replied. He looked up to see Alvin. He was staring at him and Brittany. When he saw Simon stare back, he looked away. Brittany scowled at Alvin whenever he looked at her. He narrowed his eyes in a challenging way. They stared each other down the entire trip.

They entered the airport terminal, each person carrying one suitcase, except for Dave and Miss Miller, who each had two. They walked in silence, moving one to two steps at a time. Simon looked over at Alvin, who appeared bored out of his mind. He scooted closer to his brother.

"Alvin? What was that look in the car for? I was just trying to separate you two. It didn't even work!" Simon felt slightly annoyed that his plan hadn't been as effective as he'd hoped.

Alvin rolled his eyes. "I knew that. I was just trying to decide whether or not she was mad at me. Turns out she was. I haven't the slightest idea why." Simon sighed.

Theodore was walking beside Eleanor. She saw him and beamed.

"Did you use that crepe recipe I suggested?" She asked, cocking her head to one side.

"Yeah. It was delicious. Thank you, by the way." He said, trying not to look her in the eye. When he finally did, they were filled with curiosity and something else he couldn't quite place.

"No problem." She said cheerfully. She was glad that somebody listened to her advice. Brittany was still ticked about the current fight with Alvin. Ellie had learned that they came and went in waves. In a few days, they would be back on speaking terms. Civilized speaking terms.

When they got to the security gate, the security guard made them take off their shoes and anything metal. They all reluctantly slipped out of their shoes and put them into the bins as they were directed. They all walked through without a problem, until the alarm went off as Brittany was walking through. She gasped and struggled as two men in uniforms grabbed her.

"What do you take me for?" She bellowed, causing a major scene. "Let me go! I'm not a terrorist, you up-tight-" The rest was barely audible as they frisked her.

Eleanor and Jeanette gasped. "Oh, no." Jeanette moaned, remembering the last time Brittany tried to escape the grasp of someone twice her size. The poor girl almost ended up as a child-bride!

After about half an hour of pleading with airport security, Brittany was free of all charges. The airport even bumped them up to first class for the little "misunderstanding." Apparently Brittany had a nail clipper in her pocket.

Alvin snickered. Brittany glared daggers at him. He turned away.

As they were about to board the plane, a friendly stewardess handed them each a card that designated their seat number. Brittany was the first to set foot on the plane. She searched the rows and finally found her place, B14.Theodore and Eleanor rushed off to find their seats. They stopped at their row and Theodore gestured for her to sit first. She smiled and took her seat. Brittany looked out the window and saw several men loading the luggage. She smiled as two men struggled to pick hers up.

Brittany heard someone sit in the seat next to her. She glanced over and mentally groaned. Alvin was watching people filing in to find their seats. This would be a long trip.

Alvin was perpetually trying to flirt with the stewardess. Brittany smiled weakly out of embarrassment for both her and Alvin. She gazed out the window and saw the land turn into sea.

Jeanette looked out the window but turned a few times to find Simon still reading his book. When he finally put it down, he caught her gaze and smiled. She readjusted her glasses and smiled back.

"Um, what were you reading?" She asked curiously. She could barely make out the title on the worn brown book.

"Oh, it's just a guide to riddles. Brittany's dream is still eating at me." He rubbed his temple gently, a headache trying to work its way into his brain.

Jeanette nodded sympathetically. She quickly assessed his wardrobe. He had on a powder blue oxford and black slacks. His stormy grey eyes were filled with a determination that suggested he had to figure out the puzzle even if it killed him.

"I have an idea to get your mind off of the riddle." Jeanette said, wringing her hands. "Let's play a game."

Simon thought about it and smiled. "Okay. 'Lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds.'"

"That's easy! Shakespeare's Sonnet 94. Is that the best you've got?" She asked leaning towards him, a challenging look in her eyes.

"That's just a warm up. Now the real fun begins." He said with a sultry grin.


	5. Chapter 5

5

As the sun set over the sea, Brittany found it harder to keep her eyes open. She shook her head and took a sip of coke. She turned to Alvin who was flipping through a magazine. It was getting late and most of the people were already asleep.

She cleared her throat. "Um, Alvin?" She said softly.

He turned to her and nodded, "Yes?"

"A-Are you mad at me?" She bit her lip and looked away, slightly annoyed at herself.

"Why would I be mad at you? I thought you were mad at me! You're the one who was lunging for my neck!" His eyes were wide and sincere.

She giggled in spite of herself. What he said did make sense.

"I'm sorry." She said, looking up at him. His red baseball cap hid part of his face, but the part she did see was forgiving.

He grinned as she leaned in for a hug. She inhaled the warm inviting scent of hazelnut before letting go and turned towards the window. She shut her eyes and fell asleep.

When Eleanor woke up, breakfast was on the tray in front of her. There was a small plate holding two pancakes and a small container of butter pecan syrup. Theodore was already digging in to his pancake. He looked over to see a grateful expression on Eleanor's face. She looked towards him, her deep brown eyes locking onto his and not letting go.

A stewardess came by and picked up Theodore's tray, making them both jump. She smiled and scurried away.

Simon woke up and put on his glasses. He carefully leaned over Jeanette to look out the window and see that the land was closer. He could see trees and rice paddies. He quietly resumed his original position because Jeanette was still asleep. Her mouth was open slightly and her chest rose and fell slowly, signaling that she was still breathing. Gingerly, he reached out and brushed a few strands of her deep brown hair out of her face.

She woke up with a start. She reached out and grabbed her glasses, putting them on. She looked around to get her bearings and smiled weakly at Simon.

"I must have been dreaming." She said, her face flushed. Simon nodded guiltily. He didn't mean to wake her up, but her hair was so soft…

Alvin gently nudged the drowsy Brittany. She was thrashing about restlessly.

"Brittany, wake up! You're dreaming." He whispered.

Brittany jerked awake and looked confused for a moment. She shook her head slightly to clear her mind. She glanced back at Alvin and winced. She had to get a grip.

The stewardess informed them that they were about to land for a layover in Taiwan. They grudgingly listened to the reminder to keep their seat belts fastened.

They all shuffled out of the plane and made their way into the airport. They stopped at a waiting area to get some lunch. Eleanor caught up to her sisters. They were all stretching leisurely after sitting on a plane for several hours.

Jeanette knew that Brittany had been sitting by Alvin. "Um, how was the flight for you guys?"

"Oh, it was fine. I mostly slept." Brittany replied

"Back on speaking terms?" Eleanor asked hopefully.

Brittany glanced over her shoulder to where Alvin was casually chatting with his brothers. She smiled slyly and nodded. Her sisters, who had been subconsciously holding their breath, let it out.

A few people recognized them and asked for an autograph. Brittany was glad to oblige.

Alvin and his brothers walked over and greeted their fans the same way. Someone had obviously tipped off the press that they'd be there, so there were a few news reporters there, asking questions.

Dave and Miss Miller saw that the Chipmunks and Chipettes were having trouble batting off the fans. They rushed forward and took their hands, leading them out of the crowd.

After they had safely boarded the plane, they found that their seating arrangements were different. Brittany sat by Simon, Alvin sat by Eleanor, and Theodore was sitting by Jeanette.

Eleanor groaned as Alvin attempted to flirt with yet another stewardess. "Alvin! Give it a rest, would you?" She nearly shouted. Alvin looked taken aback at her sudden burst of unfriendliness. He was dead quiet the rest of the trip.

Simon kept asking Brittany about her dream. "Are you sure she said rain? Maybe she said something else."

"I'm positive, Simon." Brittany sighed. She leaned back against her seat and closed her eyes, trying to ignore Simon's rambling.

Theodore had a wide variety of Taiwanese food on his tray. He took a spoon and fed a little bit of each to Jeanette. She started to giggle, until he fed her a piece of spicy chicken. She gasped as her tongue began to burn. Theodore handed her a glass of water. She took a few grateful sips and laughed at her own reaction. Theodore joined in and fed her a cheese pastry.

Once again they fell asleep as the moon rose. Brittany was out like a light. Though Simon didn't get anything useful from her, he did enjoy her company. Gently, her moved her head and slipped a pillow beneath it. He took a lightweight blue cotton blanket and draped it over her. She was tossing and turning again. He frowned slightly before falling asleep himself.

Alvin caught up to his brothers as they got off of the plane. He glanced back at Eleanor warily, but kept moving. Brittany saw the way he was looking at Eleanor and turned to her questioningly. Eleanor just grinned and kept walking. When they got to the luggage claim, Dave gave each of them a pair of pitch-black sunglasses.

"Man, Theodore! How did you handle Eleanor? When she sat by me, all she did was yell at me." Alvin said, his pride slightly wounded.

"Um…I don't know. We mainly talked about cooking and new recipes. We also talked about…" Theodore paused, his face filled with uncertainty.

"Continue." Alvin said, leaning closer.

"Well, we kinda talked about you and Brittany and how to control you guys." He wrung his hands, chuckling nervously.

"Brittany, I have a new appreciation for your self control when dealing with Alvin." Eleanor scoffed.

"But, when it comes to Alvin, she has no self control." Jeanette said, ignoring the dirty looks she got from Brittany.

"Well, I was stuck with Simon. He kept grilling me on that stupid riddle." She said, pouting.

"Gee, I'm sorry you guys had such a bad time. Theodore was nice for the most part. He kept feeding me, though." Jeanette said thoughtfully. Eleanor beamed and Brittany snorted.

"What do you mean they lost our luggage?" Dave nearly shouted at the man behind the large white desk. It had been about an hour since they first arrived in Bali, and Dave was mad as a…well, a man who'd lost his luggage.

Overhearing this, Brittany was on the verge of tears. "I'll swear I'm gonna shoot someone!" She growled. Eleanor clasped a hand over her sister's mouth. All that could be heard now was muffled shouting. Every person there was staring at them. And Dave said they wouldn't be too conspicuous.

"Don't worry sir, they will be in California by the time you get back. I'm sorry, but that's the best we could do." The man said with a brisk nod before calling out, "Next!"


	6. Chapter 6

6

A tall man with a dark complexion was waiting for them with a sign that read: The Chipmunks/Chipettes. They walked over to him and he nodded.

"Welcome to Denpasar." He said. He had an unfamiliar accent that they assumed originated in this area.

He carefully ushered them into a black mustang and they headed off to a hotel on the Sanur beach. They stopped in front of a tall gorgeous white building with a reddish roof. There was a fountain in the front that consisted of two dolphins spitting out streams of water.

They all pushed and shoved to get out of the car. Brittany used her left leg to kick Alvin in the kidney. He let out a cry of protest. Eleanor was busy pushing Theodore through the door and Jeanette had Brittany's arm against her ribs. In the end, they all fell out of the car and landed in a heap on the cement.

They got up and dusted themselves off. A short man not much taller than Simon was there, grinning at them.

"Welcome, kids! Apa kabar?" He said, his voice squeaking with each word.

"Um…" They murmured, looking at one another. Simon took out a small English-Indonesian dictionary and started to flip through it.

"Gotcha!" He practically shouted. He began to guffaw loudly.

They chuckled weakly and followed him into the hotel. There was a large sculpture of a tiger beside a set of mahogany sofas. There were several wooden tables and matching chairs. A few people sat at them and chatted quietly. Some soft music echoed throughout the large hall.

"Welcome to our humble city. You have been given two rooms. In your room, six sets of complimentary clothing have been laid out on the beds. Please change into them, for you will be dining with the head of the charity you'll be supporting." He said, slowly as if speaking to five year olds.

"Hold on, mister." Brittany said pointing her index finger at him. "We're supposed to have separate rooms."

He chortled. "You do. One of the rooms is split in half." He said this as though it were painfully obvious.

They all exchanged confused glances. They took the keys and went up the elevator to find rooms R6 and R7. Dave and Miss Miller dashed off to R6 before Alvin and Brittany could begin complaining. They all filed into the remaining room and looked around. The strange man was right. It was separated by a divider that could be slid open and closed. You could even lock it.

"We can handle this, Britt." Eleanor murmured comfortingly.

Brittany looked around and sighed. There were three small beds on each side of the divider that were a sickening shade of green. The peachy walls had shells along the horizontal border. On each of the beds, there was a set of clothes in their trademark color.

Alvin and his brothers walked into the other side of the room and closed the divider. He locked it so the Chipmunks and Chipettes could change.

About fifteen minutes later, the Chipmunks unlocked the divider and stepped into the Chipettes' side of the room.

Brittany put her hands on her hips. "What do you think you are doing?"

Alvin jumped on one of the beds and turned on the TV. "You don't think we could spend a whole vacation without some television, do you?"

"Don't you have a TV on your side?" She replied coolly.

"No. Why else would we come over here?"

"How about to spend some quality time with them?" Theodore chimed in.

Eleanor walked over to him and gave him a big hug. He blushed and smiled weakly. Alvin stared at him and scoffed in disgust.

"Go get a room."

"We're already in a room." Eleanor said with a smirk.

Brittany leaned back in her bed and crossed her arms over her chest. A soft rapping noise at their door caused her to jump. Jeanette opened the door an inch or two. Dave and Miss Miller came in and assessed the clothing their children were wearing.

Brittany was wearing a light pink sarong with fuchsia roses wrapped around her waist. She had a smaller version wrapped elegantly across one shoulder that covered her torso but showed one strap of the hot pink bikini she was wearing underneath. Jeanette was wearing a dark blue tankini top and a violet sarong adorned with deep purple leaves around her waist. Eleanor had a large green sarong with forest green vines on it wrapped around her body, both of the straps of her lime green bikini showing. The Chipmunks each wore a shirt and white shorts made out of a scratchy, light-weight material. Each shirt had a similar floral pattern, but different colors.

They all hurried downstairs, their soft leather sandals barely making a noise on the cool marble. They made their way to the dining hall. Brittany held on to Jeanette, who was shivering. They opened the door and found a man sitting at a long glass table. He was in a business suit.

"Hey! How come he gets to wear a suit and we have to wear these?" Brittany said, gesturing at the outfit that barely covered her sister.

"I thought that it would be more fun that way. Besides, it shows you a little more of the rich culture here. People wear those things here regularly." The man said. His accent suggested that he was from Great Britain.

"Oh, yeah? They're outside in 90 degree weather. It's like 50 freakin' degrees in here!" Brittany hissed.

"Ignorant child! You must hold learn to your tongue here. No man will allow a little girl to speak to him in such a way." The man shot back, gripping his glass of chardonnay a little too tightly.

"Hey! You can't talk to her like that! That's my job!" Alvin snarled, pointing to himself.

"We're so sorry. They're just a little jet-lagged." Dave and Miss Miller rushed in front of their children. They smiled sheepishly.

The man put down his glass and cleared his throat. He smoothed out his graying hair and smiled.

"I see. Well, Mr. Seville, we must discuss this concert further. And while you are here, I suggest that you keep an eye on your…children."

Dave nodded and swallowed hard. Was that a threat? He nearly jumped out of his skin as a short man pulled out his chair and allowed him to sit before pushing it in. He did the same with each of the others. Alvin glared at the man before sitting down.

"My name is Joshua Wellington and I am the key operator of this charity. All of the proceeds of your concert will go to building an orphanage for the children of this island." He plastered on a completely fake smile that Dave and Miss Miller ate up. They gushed about how kind it was of him to do this and how compassionate he must be. He went on to tell them of his "humble" origins. His parents were killed in a fire, leaving him and his younger brother to fend for themselves on the streets of London.

Brittany and her sisters all knew that this was bull. His hands were too soft, like those of someone who didn't have to wash a single dish. And his eyes didn't hold the experience that theirs did. Brittany turned beet red. He didn't have a clue what it was like to have to live one day at a time. He probably had never really experienced true hunger. He didn't know the meaning of "abject poverty."

He continued to tell the sad tale of his rags to riches story of a life as the food was brought out. There was a large cut of salmon on each of their plates. The meat was surrounded by several steamed vegetables. Jeanette exchanged a disgusted look with her sisters as she picked around the fish and speared a piece of lettuce with her fork.

"But, enough about me. I would love to hear more about the infamous Chipmunks and Chipettes." He lifted his glass and toasted them. They grudgingly lifted their glasses of apple juice and joined him.

They were allowed to return to their room around midnight. Their throats were sore from all of the yelling. After Mr. Wellington had commented on how wonderful it was to see that anyone could become a star nowadays, Alvin started to curse at him using words a sailor would be ashamed of. That had led to Brittany joining in. In the end, most of the salmon wound up on the floor, the walls, and Mr. Wellington's face.

They all sat on Brittany's bed discussing what a terrible person he was. Around one in the morning, they all crashed in the positions they were sitting in.


	7. Chapter 7

7

In the morning, Dave and Miss. Miller entered the room quietly and grinned at the sight:

Brittany and Alvin were clinging to one another for dear life, one of Simon's arms was resting on Jeanette's waist and her hand reached back, touching his cheek, and Ellie was resting her head on Theodore's chest.

Dave tip-toed out of the room and returned with a camera. He winked at Miss Miller and took a picture of them. They woke up instantly and looked up at Dave. He was laughing so hard his sides were splitting. They turned to look at each other and were alarmed at their positions. Brittany pried Alvin's arm off of her and narrowed her eyes. Simon turned thirty shades of crimson as he gently took his arm off of Jeanette. She smiled sheepishly and took her hand off his cheek, brushing against it slowly. Theodore and Eleanor sat up and stretched, grinning at their siblings.

"Dave!" They all groaned in unison. He tucked the camera into his small back pack, still laughing.

"We, uh…must have been rolling around last night after we fell asleep." Simon said, cleaning his glasses.

"That must be it." Brittany said nervously. She gingerly placed the strap of her bikini back onto her shoulder and glared at Alvin.

"Well, now that you sleepy heads are awake, we're scheduled for a tour of the beach." Miss. Miller said, clasping her hands together.

"How do you tour a beach?" Alvin asked Simon skeptically.

"No idea." He responded with a shrug.

They walked out of the building and met a woman who was obviously not from Bali. She smiled brightly. "Hello. Are you ready for your beach tour?" She asked, her voice rising an octave as she said beach.

"Yes." Miss Miller said, smiling back. She introduced herself as Sandy and giggled. They all introduced themselves and started toward Sanur Beach.

When they arrived at the beach, the blonde woman explained their activities for the day.  
"Now, I will pair you up and you will have roughly an hour to find as many sea shells as you can. After that, a few of the natives will teach us to make jewelry out of the shells." Alvin groaned.

She grabbed Alvin's and Brittany's arms and pushed them together. She did the same to Simon and Jeanette and Theodore and Eleanor. "These will be the three teams. Go get started!" She exclaimed. "But remember to have fun!"

Simon and Jeanette looked at each other and started walking towards the sea. They seemed to be talking. They never once looked at the ground, causing the woman to frown.

She saw that the other four were still there. "Well, go on." She sounded annoyed.

Theodore and Ellie walked off and searched the ground, not wanting to get on the woman's bad side. Alvin and Brittany did the same. When they were clearly out of view, they straightened up and started walking in silence. Alvin would drag his feet and kick at the sand.

Brittany saw several shells, but only picked up a few shiny pink ones.

"What's the use?"

"Excuse me?" Brittany asked, looking at Alvin.

"What's the use?" Alvin repeated. "We're practically adults, but they keep treating us like kids."

Brittany shrugged. She grinned. "I bet you can't catch me in those sandals!" The Chipettes had taken off their sandals, but the Chipmunks still had them on.

Alvin grinned back. "I bet I can." He started running after the squealing Chipette.

Brittany was aware that Alvin was slowly gaining on her. "Ow." She said, tripping over a stick. The clip she had used to hold up her hair shattered.

Alvin kept running, but tripped and landed on top of her. Their eyes locked for a moment before he slowly sat up and scooted a little farther away. She sat up too. Her hair was loose and framed her face perfectly. The sun bathed her in a golden glow, making her auburn hair shine. Her deep blue eyes were studying him. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

"I won." He finally said triumphantly.

"That wasn't fair! I tripped and broke my favorite clip." Brittany glowered at him. "You owe me."

"A new clip?"

"No. A rematch!" Brittany replied. She righted her bikini strap. This was the second time that it had slid down her arm. Thanks to Alvin.

He stood up and helped her to her feet before chasing after her again.

"No fair! I wasn't ready!" She called out between gasps of air.

When their hour was up, Sandy made a point of telling them so. She stood on a large sand dune with a blow horn screaming, "Time's up!"

Alvin, Brittany, Simon, and Jeanette walked over to her and waited for Theodore and Ellie. Now that they thought about it, they hadn't seen them the whole time they were "searching."

After a few minutes, Theodore and Eleanor showed up trying to carry a large blue bucket. They put it down and let out a sigh of relief. The others looked into the bucket to see that it was filled to the brim with shiny shells of all shapes and sizes. Sandy was overcome with joy.

"Where are your shells?" She asked, turning on the others.

They all looked at each other before they produced three or four shells each. "Um, we couldn't find any others." Jeanette said slowly.

Sandy looked around at the beach floor, which was covered in shells. "Uh-huh."

"Don't worry; you can use some of ours." Theodore said cheerily.

"Shut up, Theodore." Alvin said between clenched teeth.

Three Indonesian women met them. They smiled at each of the Chipmunks and Chipettes before turning towards Sandy.

"It's time to make our jewelry! Here are three women who volunteered to help us." They sat down at a wooden table and set the shells on the surface. Sandy passed out string and allowed the women to explain the procedure.

"Now, let's all try." The woman in the middle said. They all sat down and started.

Brittany found the four pink shells she had found. "Surely that won't be enough." She said to herself. She looked around until she saw some white shells that were just as shiny. She grinned and reached for them.

Alvin picked up a shell and examined it. He put it on his piece of string and picked a few more random shells. He looked around to see the others making patterns. He rolled his eyes and tied the bracelet.

When everyone was done, the first woman stood up. "Now, get together with your partner and exchange."

Brittany gasped. All of that time! All of that effort! She worked hard on the necklace and she wasn't even going to keep it? She stood up and reluctantly gave Alvin her necklace.

Alvin looked up, alarmed. He should have at least tried. Now he would receive something well-worked on, and Brittany will get a bracelet with no design what-so-ever. He grabbed the necklace and sighed. Hers had a great pattern. White, white, white, white, pink, white, pink, white, pink, white, pink, white, white, white, white. He closed an eye when he held out his bracelet, bracing himself for her wrath.

Brittany raised an eyebrow as Alvin showed her the bracelet he made. No pattern at all. Just random shells. She put on a small smile and reached for it. Holding it gingerly, she tried to find something positive about it. "It's very…original."

"Good! I hoped you had a great time." Sandy said. Another small group stood at the side, waiting for their tour.

"Now wasn't that fun?" Miss Miller asked as they allowed the next group to take their place.

"Yeah. Sure." Simon answered for all of them.


	8. Chapter 8

8

The rest of the day, they were allowed to roam the beach freely. They all walked off in opposite directions, trying not to get caught in the tourist traps, though it didn't work. Brittany stopped at a small wooden hut with a bar. She sat down on one of the tan stools and cleared her throat.

A fairly light complexioned boy turned and smiled at her handing her a menu. There were several drinks there that looked exotic, with little cherries and multi-colored umbrellas.

The boy slowly looked his new customer over. She had on one of the many sarongs that tourists bought, looking for some "traditional" clothing. Aside from that, she had a long curtain of deep auburn hair and deep blue, almost indigo eyes.

"May I suggest a Bulan Mera?" He asked.

"Sure." She said nonchalantly. She returned the menu and watched as he mixed several different liquids. The result was a silvery liquid that gave off a faint glow. He added a drop of red liquid that changed the color of the mixture, though it still glowed.

"You're not trying to get me drunk are you?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. He laughed.

"I swear on my mother's grave that this drink contains no alcohol." He said, crossing his heart.

She smiled and took a sip. The liquid felt warm going in, but after a while, it felt as though she had just eaten a peppermint. Her tongue started to tingle.

"What does Bulan Mera mean exactly?" She inquired curiously.

"Red moon." He replied, washing a glass with a small white scrap of cloth.

After a few sips, the boy asked her a few questions about herself. She responded with short, direct answers.

"I'm Brittany. I'm actually here doing a benefit concert." She said matter-of-factly.

He nodded. "I'm Rayne."

"Did you mean what you said? About your mother's grave?" She asked coyly.

He nodded somberly and took a photo out of his shirt pocket. It showed a fair skinned woman with dark hair and eyes.

"She died about five years ago, having my brother. He didn't make it either. Now it's just my dad, my sister, and me. It's funny though. She told me the key to happiness was a large family."

"I'm sorry. I never even knew my parents." She said quietly.

After a while, they began to tell each other more about their pasts. Brittany couldn't believe that she was telling him such personal information. She wasn't sure if it was the drink, or her loneliness.

"You're one of the most interesting tourists I've met." He said. She was sure that he said that to all of the female tourists he met, but the look in his eyes said differently.

"You shouldn't be wearing that. No offense, but you look kinda like a flamingo." He said, his face reddening slightly. She laughed softly, admitting that she did sort of look like a ridiculous pink bird.

"Try this on." He said, reaching into a small crevice and pulling out a bundle of soft cloth. She looked at him skeptically before agreeing. He let her in behind the bar and she went into the storage room to change.

She returned wearing an indigo ruffled skirt with a black belt over it. A light pink shirt hung loosely around her shoulders, showing the straps of her bikini. She placed her hands on her hips and posed.

He nodded approvingly at her. She giggled and sat back on her stool, holding the sarongs in her right hand. She placed them at her feet and continued to sip at her drink.

"I really ought to change back into my clothes…" She said, standing.

"Nah. Keep them. They're my sister's. And frankly, they look better on you than they ever looked on her." He said with a smile.

She was about to protest, but thought better of it. She handed him some money for the drink and turned to walk away.

"Hold on a minute." He said, reaching out and touching her hand. She looked at him questioningly. He placed a bracelet of small white shells on her wrist.

She sat back down and stared at it. She looked up at him, her mouth slightly agape. He smiled.

Jeanette walked closer to the sea. She sat on a sand dune and allowed her feet to dangle into the cold aqua water. She giggled as she watched a small hermit crab scuttle across the sand.

Simon slowly walked up behind her and snatched her glasses. "Guess who." He murmured into her ear.

"Simon! Cut it out." She said, playfully batting at his hand. He replaced her glasses and sat beside her. For a moment, their hands touched. Jeanette withdrew her hand and gasped. He grimaced apologetically.

"It's just that you shocked me a little." She said. Making up for her abrupt actions, she scooted closer to him. He gingerly placed his hand on her cheek and gazed into her emerald green eyes. They seemed to sparkle at his touch. She placed her hand over his and looked into his stormy grey eyes. They told her everything she wanted to know:

I want you. I need you. I love you.

Alvin was crestfallen. Every pretty girl he had approached backed away, their eyes filled with a sort of disgust. He groaned and sat in the sand.

"Don't take it personally. It's just because you're a Kecil Satu." A rather heavy set man said, sitting beside him.

"Oh, yeah? What's that supposed to mean?" Alvin asked, glaring at no one in particular.

"It means little one. It's what we call your kind here." He said with a hearty chuckle.

"My kind? You mean tourists, right?" He said, cocking his head to one side.

"No. I mean furry little people. Like you." He said pointing at Alvin's chest.

Alvin's eyes widened. "Furry. Little. People." He said, pausing between words. He wasn't a furry person. He was a Chipmunk. But could that mean that there were others? "Where are these furry people?"

"They are by the volcanoes." The man said, pointing at the volcanoes that were partially hidden behind the foliage of trees.

It was around four in the afternoon by the time they all met back in the room. Brittany was the last one to enter the room. She visibly reddened as they all stopped and turned to look at her. Alvin raised an eyebrow at her new appearance. The deep blue skirt brought out the blue in her eyes and the light pink shirt left her mid-drift bare.

"Where'd you get that outfit?" Eleanor asked suspiciously.

"Long story. What were you guys talking about?" She said, putting her sarongs in the dresser. The smooth shells on her right wrist caught Jeanette's eye. They stood out from the jagged ones on her left wrist.

"Alvin's telling us about volcanoes." Theodore said.

"Volcanoes?" Brittany asked.

"Theodore! I was talking about the furry people that live by the volcanoes." Alvin explained.

Brittany perched on her bed. She nodded, motioning for him to continue.

"As I was saying, a man I met today told me that there were furry people like us by the volcanoes. So, that must mean…" Alvin said in conclusion. Simon finished the sentence for him in wonder.

"There is more of our kind."


	9. Chapter 9

9

"Please tell me you haven't become a shop lifter." Eleanor said, gesturing towards the outfit.

"No way! It just so happens that I met a guy today who gave it to me." She said defensively.

"You didn't do anything I wouldn't do did you?" She asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"Of course not! Look, I bought a drink, non-alcoholic, and we started talking. I was about to leave, but…well, he gave me this." She said, touching the bracelet.

By this time, Jeanette was also paying attention. She stood up and leaned against the foot of the bed.

"Did he tell you why he gave you the bracelet?" Jeanette asked, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

Brittany blushed. "Well, he said it was a good luck charm. He said I looked like the kind of person that draws trouble to them like a magnet."

"Smart boy! I like him already. What was his name?" Eleanor said with a grin.

"He said his name was Rayne." She said. The name brought a smile to her lips.

Simon, who up until this, had his nose in yet another book, looked up at Brittany, his eyes wide. He pulled out a notepad and the riddle book that he had been reading on the plane.

"Did you say his name was Rayne?" He asked walking over to her bed and sitting beside her. She nodded, her eyebrows knitted together.

"Remember the third line of the riddle? 'Seek the comfort of the cold, but loving rain.' Perhaps it wasn't rain. Maybe it was Rayne." He said, crossing the word out and replacing it with the boy's name.

"Did you seek his comfort by any chance?" Ellie asked, looking at the paper Simon had written the riddle on. She was shocked that he could write it from memory like that.

"Well…I kind of told him the story of my life. Don't look at me like that! He was a very comforting person." She said, shrugging helplessly.

Simon nearly dropped his pencil. He looked at Brittany's attire and sighed. She had on an indigo skirt and a black belt. He put a checkmark by the third and second line of the riddle.

"Has anyone been shining?" Jeanette asked, looking over Simon's shoulder.

"Um, no." Brittany replied.

"Well, when you do, tell me right away and we can solve this riddle." Simon said, readjusting his glasses.

Miss Miller entered the room wearing a ridiculously wide brimmed straw hat. "I'm glad I found you. Wellington has invited us to another dinner. This time it will be a barbeque out on the beach. Hurry up!" She left, leaving the door open wide.

"Not again." Theodore mumbled. He looked at Alvin and sighed.

Alvin glared at him. "What? He was the one who made the remark and he was the one who caused the whole problem last time!"

"We better go." Eleanor said, exhaling sharply.

Dragging their feet, they made their way to the beach. There, Dave and Miss Miller were greeting Wellington warmly.

"There they are!" Wellington exclaimed. "I'm glad you were able to join us."

"Yeah right." Alvin muttered under his breath.

"Sit down. The ribs will be done in no time." He said with a big smile. The Chipmunks and Chipettes sat down on the six beach chairs waiting for them. They all had on their appropriate clothing. His gaze fell on the auburn haired Chipette and he frowned. "My dear, what happened to your clothes?"

Brittany looked down at herself. "I looked like a flamingo, so I changed clothes." She said boldly. She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes before smiling sweetly. "Why? Did I do anything wrong?" She asked as innocently as possible.

His frown deepened. "Why, of course not."

"Ah, the ribs are ready." He picked up a few at a time and laid them on the paper plates.

Brittany poked at it with her fork. She took a small bite and swallowed painfully. This didn't taste like any regular rib.

Simon, Theodore, Eleanor and Jeanette didn't touch their food after one bite, either. Alvin didn't even try to mask his distain. He spit it back onto his plate. "Bleh! This tastes like a diseased skunk!"

"Alvin, don't be rude!" Dave whispered.

Wellington clenched his teeth. "It's all right. You don't have to eat." He said, looking at each chipmunk in turn. "It's not like you'll starve." He said, staring at Eleanor and Theodore.

Alvin growled. How dare he insult his little brother!

Brittany balled her hands into fists. Jeanette put her hand on Brittany's shoulder.

"Brittany. Stop it. He's just trying to intimidate us." She murmured softly.

After a few moments, a small crowd of people sat at tables to the left and right of them. They all received ribs, as well. Alvin could tell by the looks on their faces that they shared his view on the meal.


	10. Chapter 10

10

Wellington brought out a small machine and brought it onto the small wooden platform. He hooked up a microphone and cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.

"Welcome! I am hosting this meal as a welcome to our guests: The Chipmunks and Chipettes. They've flown thousands of miles to do our benefit concert the day after tomorrow. Why don't we get them warmed up with a little karaoke?"

The crowd began to applaud and cheer. Miss Miller and Dave smiled and urged them forward. They all walked onto the stage and waved at the crowd. Alvin, like the ham he is, blew kisses at the audience and took a few bows. Brittany, not one to be outdone, pushed him aside and beamed at them.

They each grabbed one of the microphones that Wellington handed to them. The music began to blast, nearly deafening them. Determined to stay in character, they just smiled at one another and began to sway from side to side as they began the first verse:

_If you see a faded sign by the side of the road that says  
15 miles to the... Love Shack! Love Shack yeah  
I'm headin' down the Atlanta highway,  
lookin' for the love getaway  
Heading for the love getaway, love getaway,  
I got me a car, it's as big as a whale  
and we're headin' on down  
To the Love Shack  
I got me a Chrysler, it seats about 20  
So hurry up and bring your jukebox money_

_The Love Shack is a little old place  
where we can get together  
Love Shack baby, Love Shack bay-bee.  
Love baby, that's where it's at,  
Ooo love baby, that's where it's at_

The crowd got to their feet and began to dance in time to the beat. Miss Miller and Dave decided that they wanted to return to the hotel in one piece, so they remained seated. Alvin bent down and touched the hands of a few fans. When the Chipettes saw which song was to be played next, they got off the stage and disappeared into the crowd. Only after they had done it, they realized just what a bad idea it was.

The cheering died down as a slower tune filled the air. Simon and Theodore took their places at Alvin's sides and harmonized as Alvin began:

_Love, I get so lost, sometimes  
Days pass and this emptiness fills my heart  
When I want to run away  
I drive off in my car  
But whichever way I go  
I come back to the place you are_

_All my instincts, they return  
And the grand facade, so soon will burn  
Without a noise, without my pride  
I reach out from the inside_

_In your eyes  
The light the heat  
In your eyes  
I am complete  
In your eyes  
The resolution of all the fruitless searches  
In your eyes  
I see the light and the heat  
In your eyes  
Oh, I want to be that complete  
I want to touch the light  
The heat I see in your eyes_

All of the girls went wild. They started screaming the Chipmunks' names. Alvin grinned until they nearly climbed onto the stage. He snatched Simon's glasses and threw them out into the audience just as the song ended. There was a blare of silence as a hand shot up and caught the glasses. The crowd parted like the Red Sea and allowed Jeanette and her sisters to walk forward. Theodore helped them onto the stage and Jeanette walked up to Simon. She carefully put them back on his face. He blinked a few times and grinned at her.

Music started on again. Simon glared at Alvin before the Chipettes began to belt out their solo song:

_Clock strikes upon the hour  
And the sun begins to fade  
Still enough time to figure out  
How to chase my blues away  
I've done alright up til now  
Its the light of day that shows me how  
And when the night falls the loneliness calls_

_Oh I wanna dance with somebody  
I wanna feel the heat with somebody  
Yeah I wanna dance with somebody  
With somebody who loves me  
Oh I wanna dance with somebody  
I wanna feel the heat with somebody  
Yeah I wanna dance with somebody  
With somebody who loves me_

Jeanette and Eleanor's faces lit up with seductive smiles as they took Simon and Theodore by the hand and began to dance. Brittany belted out before something caught her eye. She looked down to see Rayne smiling up at her. She smiled back and helped him onto the stage.

"Thank you." She whispered as he spun her.

"Don't mention it." He said with a wink.

"Cium dia! Cium dia! Cium dia!" The crowd chanted.

Brittany looked up at him quizzically. "What are they saying?" She mouthed.

He grinned and leaned in, his lips meeting hers. The crowd began to scream and hoot at them. She even heard a few wolf whistles.

He leaned back and she took a deep breath.

"I guess I just got my answer." She said, tittering weakly.

The music stopped. Eleanor and Jeanette watched Brittany, mouths slightly ajar.

Simon took a step away from Alvin, whose eyes were narrowed into slits. Wellington motioned to the stage and two men in black suits escorted Rayne back into the crowd. Eleanor pulled her sister, Simon, and Theodore off of the stage as a soft sweet melody started.

Brittany and Alvin slowly walked to the center of the stage. She rubbed the back of her hand against his cheek, smiling reassuringly. He smiled at her, and played along:

_Well, here we are again;  
I guess it must be fate.  
We've tried it on our own,  
But deep inside we've known  
We'd be back to set things straight._

Brittany nodded and gently crooned her part:

_I still remember when  
Your kiss was so brand new.  
Every memory repeats,  
Every step I take retreats,  
Every journey always brings me back to you._

They grabbed each other's hands and looked into one another's eyes. The crowd ate it up as they sang the chorus together:

_After all the stops and starts,  
We keep coming back to these two hearts,  
Two angels who've been rescued from the fall.  
After all that we've been through,  
It all comes down to me and you.  
I guess it's meant to be,  
Forever you and me, after all._

Jeanette gasped and nudged Simon, pointing at Alvin. The moon was up and bathing him in a silvery glow. It softened his features, making him shine brightly.

When they finished, Alvin took Brittany in his arms and dipped her. The crowd cheered and started jumping up and down.

"Too much?" He whispered with uncertainty.

"The performance of your life." She said panting slightly.


	11. Chapter 11

11

After the dinner party, they were all soaked from the waist down after the little trip into the ocean. Eleanor had unwrapped her sarong, revealing a lime green one piece adorned with small pink flowers. She was walking slowly, laughing at a joke Theodore had made about the weather. Jeanette had also taken off her wet sarong, and flung it over the crook in her arm. Brittany, stubborn as ever, refused to take off her skirt. It was literally dripping; though she had wrung it out several times.

They walked into the lobby of the hotel, their sandals making a soft squishing noise and leaving a small trail of sand and water. Theodore's eyes widened at the mess that they were making. He took off his sandals and held them in one hand as they made their way up to the room.

After the boys had set their sandals in the tub to dry, Brittany took out her sarong and ran to the bathroom, shutting the door. She quickly got out of the skirt and hung it over the towel rack. She slipped on the sarong, making sure that it was tightly fastened before walking back into the room.

She slipped into bed, taking off both bracelets. Jeanette turned the light off. Brittany turned onto her side and slept.

"Brittany!" Brittany turned her head to see Alvin behind her. Panic shown in his eyes.

She looked down to see a smoking volcano. They hovered over it, tied together with a thick rope. Alvin called out again. The temperature grew unbearable as they began to fall.

Brittany's eyes grew accustomed to the darkness. "Simon? What are you doing?" Brittany whispered fiercely.

Simon looked up, his eyes as wide as a deer caught in headlights. He walked over. "I just wanted to check on you. Every night you thrash about." Brittany was quiet a moment.

"Maybe that's why Alvin was clinging to you so tightly the other night." He said quietly.

Brittany scoffed. "Why would he do that?"

"He might have done it subconsciously." Simon replied.

Brittany thought about it before remembering her dream. "Simon, I had a dream."

"Tell me in the morning, Brittany. You looked tired." He went back to his side, glancing at her over his shoulder. He closed the divider slowly and locked it.

"Brittany, wake up!" Jeanette said quietly. "Simon wants to see you." Brittany looked at the clock and groaned. They had let her sleep in.

She got up and walked over towards the boy's side. There, Simon was holding the same book as the night of the other dream. She sat down next to Jeanette. He gestured for her to tell him about her dream. Alvin was sitting up on his bed, peering at her curiously. Eleanor and Theodore were sitting next to another on his bed.

"I was over a volcano with A…" She stopped and cleared her throat. "A chipmunk. We were lowered into the volcano, and that was when I woke up."

"Doesn't that sound familiar, oh Prince of Plenty?" Alvin said, smirking at Theodore.

Simon rolled his eyes and started to flip through the book. He found a section marked "volcano" and read it silently

"Was it erupting, smoking, or inactive?"

Brittany tried to remember. "I'm pretty sure it was smoking."

Simon read through the small paragraph and whistled. "'A smoking volcano a sign of a passionate love affair based on deceit: brake the habit before it brakes you.'" He shut the book closed and rested it in his lap.

Theodore, Eleanor, and Jeanette were looking at Alvin.

A few hours later, Brittany walked over to the window. From there she could see the entire beach. The waves hugged the shore before recoiling, as though they had been burned at the touch of the sand. She sat on a small stool and rested her chin on her palm. She took the bracelet off and held it in her hands. A few of the jagged shells shone brightly in the sunlight. Her gaze softened at the sight. She put it back on and held one of the shells between her thumb and her fore-finger. She looked at the other bracelet with a pained expression, remembering Rayne's exact words:

"This is a good luck charm that belonged to my mother. You look like the kind of person that draws trouble to them like a magnet. Kind of like her."

She didn't want to tell her sisters about the fact that it belonged to his mother. That would've only made it worse. She tried to give it back, but he wouldn't let her. Why would he give something that valuable to a girl he'd only known for an hour? She was still rubbing her head trying to figure it out.

Theodore and Eleanor still had a large bucket filled with seashells. They took them out one by one and examined them on the carpeted floor of their room. The shells stood out on the dark blue, looking almost like stars in the sky.

Theodore was propped up on one elbow. He laid his hand flat; his palm was open, holding a large clam shell. The inside was lined with a thin layer of mother of pearl. Eleanor traced the inside of the shell, its smoothness bringing a soft smile to her lips. She picked it up and put it down beside Theodore's hand. She was now tracing the lines on his palm. His skin tingled wherever she touched him.

"Here's your love line. It's really long." She said the tip of her finger trailing along it.

"Where did you learn that?" He asked, trying to sound casual.

"Oh. One of the women who taught us to make the jewelry offered to read my palm. She said that my love line was long and unbroken, signaling that I would only fall in love once. Yours looks just like mine." She said, her voice growing softer as she said the last part. She gently brought his hand to her lips and kissed it softly. His breath caught in his throat. He sat up slowly, and took her face into his other hand. Their eyes locked as he brought her closer to him…

Simon walked over to them and sat on the floor Indian style. They looked up at him together, slightly annoyed that he had broken up their intimate moment. Eleanor blushed and let go of Theodore's hand.

"Sorry for interrupting." Simon said, realizing his mistake. He suddenly regretted walking over to them. "I just wanted to know how you guys felt about last night. I think something strange is going on."

"But they loved us last night." Theodore said, his face twisted into a mask of confusion.

"That's just it! Alvin said he couldn't catch a break with any of the girls here. He said they were disgusted by him because he was a Kecil Satu. If so, why do they suddenly love us?" Simon asked. He was already filled with the energy that coursed through him whenever he was on the verge or figuring something out.

Alvin heard someone say his name. That's all it took. He was there in a flash, questioning Simon.

"What about me? Anything good?" He asked, crouching down.

Simon eyed Alvin warily. He gasped and snapped his fingers. "I almost forgot!" He muttered to himself. He walked over to the girls' side grabbed Brittany's arm.

Alvin cocked his head to one side as Simon pulled Brittany from the window and pushed her onto her bed. He shut the divider. Alvin walked over and tried to open it. Simon had locked it. What was going on? He kneeled down and put his ear on the divider. He heard muffled voices.

"What, Simon?" Brittany asked.

He took out the paper with the riddle on it. He checked the first line off and gave it to Brittany. "Do you know why I checked it off?"

"Um, you saw someone shining?" Brittany asked hesitantly.

"Yes. Do you know who?"

"Simon, stop playing twenty questions with me and tell me who was shining!" Brittany snapped.

Simon paced while he talked. "Calm down. Last night, Alvin was shining."

Brittany read over the first line and swallowed hard. "What? I'm supposed to love Alvin?"

Simon shrugged and nodded.

Brittany sighed. "Simon? In my dream…I was with Alvin. Not another chipmunk."

Simon sat down. "It makes sense." He said simply. He looked down at the riddle. "'If you wander, you shan't go back.' The last line is talking about Alvin and Rayne. If you wander from one of them, you can't go back."

Jeanette looked up at Alvin. His face was scrunched up in concentration. She stood up and walked to him. "What's going on."

"I have no clue." Alvin gave up. "I can't understand a word they're saying."

Jeanette nodded sympathetically as Alvin pressed against the divider again. He heard a high pitched giggle and a loud thump followed by another giggle. Jeanette's eyes widened and she backed away from the divider.

Simon unlocked the divider and came out with a grin. His glasses were slightly askew. Brittany followed with a triumphant expression on her face.

"What happened in there?" Alvin demanded.

Simon cleared his throat and smiled sheepishly. "I kind of made a joke about…anyway, she laughed until I got to the end of the joke. Then she pushed me off the bed. Then she laughed again."

Jeanette couldn't help but laugh at the look on Alvin's face.

"What kind of joke?" He asked, gritting his teeth.

"A joke about you, of course! What other kind is there?" Brittany said, tossing her hair over her shoulder. Everyone began to roar with laughter.

"If it was so funny, why'd you push him off the bed?" Alvin shot back.

For a moment, he regretted his words. Her eyes were glazed over with a pain he couldn't understand. She shuddered slightly before rebuilding the barrier around herself.

"I just couldn't resist." She said before stalking over to the girls' side and shutting the divider.

"What did you say, Simon?" Eleanor asked. She stood up and walked over to Jeanette.

Simon grimaced and shook his head. "I'll leave that to her. If she wants you to know, she'll tell you."


	12. Chapter 12

12

Brittany made her way down to the lobby before her sisters caught up. She sighed and walked out onto the beach with her sisters at her side. She took off her sandals and carried them in one hand as she made her way down to the little hut with the bar.

Rayne looked at her, smiling adoringly. She smiled back half-heartedly.

"Hi, Rayne. Can you get my sisters and me a Bulan Mera?" She asked, taking at seat on one of the stools.

"Anything, sayang." He turned and mixed different liquids into three different glasses. Once again, he added the red liquid that changed its color.

Jeanette was slightly alarmed at the fact that her drink was glowing. She wasn't sure whether or not it was safe to drink. Seeing that it didn't harm Brittany, she took a reluctant sip. Man that stuff was good!

Rayne saw that Brittany was back in the ridiculous flamingo outfit. But he had to admit, she was the hottest flamingo he had ever seen. Her hair was held up by a large pink clip. A few strands of it were loose around her face.

Eleanor downed her glass in one long gulp. She hiccupped and giggled. She felt as though she had just drunk an entire pot of coffee.

"I'm gonna go play some volleyball!" She said quickly to her sisters before zooming off to join a game that was already taking place.

Jeanette raised an eyebrow at the way Rayne looked at her sister. So that's how rain could be loving.

After about half an hour, Ellie returned no worse for wear. She was all smiles. She even ordered another drink.

"I love Bali!" She said with a contented sigh.

"That's not Bali." He said with a snort. He came out from behind the bar and placed a sign that said "closed" on it. He motioned for them to follow him.

They made their way through a thick forest. The light shone through the gaps in the branches, casting them all in a greenish glow. The sound of birds trilling reverberated throughout the small clearing. Brittany looked up in awe at a large graceful parrot flying through the sky. Her feathers were a lovely blend of red and yellow. Now what was it about those colors that made her weak in the knees?

"Here we are, sayang." He said, making his way through a curtain of green vines. They all followed after him, gasping at the sight.

They were on a hill, looking down at a bowl shaped valley. On the other side was a large, majestic volcano. The sun set just above the volcano, turning it a reddish orange color. There were a few violet clouds in the sky, complimenting the orangish yellow orb of fire.

In the valley was a beautiful city filled with huts. At the center was a large building made of aged, grey stone. Several beings walked about, conversing with each other in their native tongue.

Rayne guided them down the steep hill, to the large entrance. Two guards were standing there with spears.

"They're chipmunks!" Jeanette breathed in wonder. They looked as shocked to see her as she was to see them.

"Kecil Satu!" One of them gasped, pointing at the Miller sisters.

"Kami mau melihat Sonaroh." Rayne said slowly. He held both hands up, showing that he was no threat.

They nodded gruffly and one of the guards escorted them into the city, holding his spear against Rayne's back the entire time.

"Siapa nama Anda?" The guard asked Eleanor casually, looking her up and down.

Eleanor looked up at Rayne waiting for a translation. He smiled and whispered something into her ear.

"Nama saya Eleanor." She said, her eyes filled with a hope that she could trust what Rayne had told her. To her relief, the guard only nodded, obviously amused at her thick American accent.

Rayne tried to enter when they reached the large stone building, but the guard jabbed him and allowed the Chipettes to enter first. The interior of the building was very ornate. There were several hand-woven rugs and tapestries on the walls, depicting chipmunks doing ordinary tasks. One in particular that caught Jeanette's eye was one of a female chipmunk nursing her two babies.

The guard led them to a small room. There was a thick rug on the ground and several large cushions surrounding it.

"Tunggu sini." The guard said cautiously before entering a room through a curtain of brown beads.

"Who the hell is Sonaroh and why are we going to see him?" Brittany asked in a strained voice. She held her sister closer to her, not liking the way that guard looked at Eleanor.

"He's the leader of this tribe of chipmunks. He will be thrilled to know that there are others." Rayne said, sitting on one of the cushions.

Jeanette bit her lip and sunk into a soft tan cushion beside Rayne. She took her sisters' hands and pulled them down beside her. They all turned in unison as a rather stout chipmunk came in. An equally weighted female chipmunk was on his arm. He had on a red robe, and she had on a pink sarong similar to Brittany's, except it had a golden trim.

A rather chubby chipmunk closer to the Chipettes' age strolled in wearing a green robe similar to that of the older male. He looked at them each in turn with shock. His gaze rested on Eleanor and he grinned devilishly.

"Halo, Sonaroh. Apa kabar?" Rayne asked, dipping his head slightly in respect.

"Saya sehat. Dan anda?" The chipmunk said, checking his nails for dirt.

"Saya sehat." Rayne said, nodding slowly. He noticed at Sonaroh was looking at the Chipettes curiously.

"Mereka adalah siapa?" Sonaroh asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Mereka adalah Chipettes." Rayne replied, placing a hand on Brittany's shoulder protectively, though there was no need.

"Halo. Apa kabar?" He said warmly.

"Mereka hanya berbicara dalam bahasa Inggris." Rayne informed him.

"Why didn't you say so?" Sonaroh said, his voice thickly accented.

Eleanor tried to ignore the looks that the younger chipmunk gave her, but his gaze seemed to burn a hole through her.

"Hello. How are you?" Sonaroh repeated.

"We're fine." Jeanette said.

"We had no idea that there were others like us living in other countries." The female chipmunk said, smiling at the girls.

The younger chipmunk leaner closer to Sonaroh and whispered something into his ear.

"Apakah anda yakin?" He asked, taking a moment to look the blonde Chipette over.

He nodded, rubbing his hands together greedily.

"Escort these lovely ladies to the guest room would you, Rayne? You've been there before. Once they're settled in, come back to this room. I'll send in a few servants." Sonaroh said, waving his hand dismissively.

Rayne nodded dutifully and stood up. He walked down a long hallway, the Chipettes following closely in fear of getting lost. They entered a room on their right through yet another beaded curtain.

After they all had settled onto large golden cushions, Rayne left reluctantly. Brittany could still feel his arm on her shoulder. She shuddered and tried to shake the feeling.

"Brittany? This may not be the best of times, but what exactly did Simon say that made you push him off the bed?" Jeanette asked, playing with the tassels on her cushion.

"Well, he really was talking about Alvin. He talked about how blind Alvin was." Brittany said, frowning slightly. "He said that if Alvin couldn't understand, no one could help him."

"Brittany. That still doesn't justify your knocking him to the ground. Why were you laughing afterwards?" Eleanor asked.

"Oh!" Brittany said, a smile returning to her lips. "He said that if I was able to knock him off of his feet, Alvin would be a snap!" She couldn't help but laugh at the fond memory.

They fell silent as three chipmunks came in through the beads.


	13. Chapter 13

13

"I don't care how important he is, how powerful he is, how rich he is, he is not going to marry my sister!" Brittany complained as the servants were filing the Chipettes' nails, well…they were more like claws. "By the way, how rich is he?" She asked, placing a finger on her lip.

"I have a better question," Eleanor said, allowing one of the chipmunks to do her toes, "Why me? Why not Brittany or Jeanette? They're far prettier than me!" She insisted, gesturing to her sisters.

"Well, in our society, weight is a symbol of social status. You are viewed as high class due to how much you weigh." One of the chipmunks said nonchalantly, feeding Jeanette a grape. Eleanor couldn't help but notice that the servants were all stick thin. Beautiful, but thin.

"So you're saying that she is a high class dame, and we're viewed as commoners?" Brittany said, her voice filled with rage. The servant nodded solemnly.

"And while you are viewed this way, you will find that it is simply easier for you to survive when you hold your tongue." She advised.

"What is wrong with the people here? Everyone's telling me to shut up!" Brittany roared.

"And that's different from back at home how?" Eleanor said slyly.

The chubby chipmunk wearing the green robe came in. The three servants bowed deeply on all fours. Brittany, however, indignantly stood up, looking him in the eye with a fierce look. Jeanette and Eleanor worked together to force Brittany to the ground.

"Stand up, sayang." He murmured softly, helping Eleanor to her feet. She recognized the word that Rayne had called Brittany.

"What does sayang mean?" She asked, trying to release her hand from his tight grip, but to no avail.

"It means dear." He said with a slight chuckle.

"Um, you really don't want to marry me. Why not Brittany? She's gorgeous!" Eleanor said, trying to ignore Brittany's protests.

"What? Why would I want a stalk of celery when I could have some angel's food cake?" He asked with a suggestive purr.

Brittany stood up and walked forward. She aimed for his neck, but was held back by Jeanette, who was right after her.

"Brittany!" Jeanette scolded.

"A stalk of celery?!" Brittany exploded. "I am not a stalk of celery!"

"I-I don't even know your name! What kind of basis is that for a relationship?" Eleanor sputtered, still trying to pry his hand off of hers.

"I'm Guntur. Come then. Let us get acquainted." He said, leading her out of the room. She looked back at her sisters helplessly. Brittany and Jeanette exchanged worried glances.

Rayne was grudgingly escorted to the entrance by the same guard that let him into the city. As he walked through the forest and made his way onto the beach, the guard's words echoed in his mind.

Humans have no place with chipmunks.

Speak of the devil! The Chipmunks were waiting for him at the bar. The looks on their faces inspired little hope that they were merely thirsty.

"Where's Ellie?" Theodore was the first to speak. His face was filled with concern and fear. It was almost seven o' clock and the Chipettes were gone without a trace.

"I'm not sure how to break this to you," He said, making sure he was safely behind the bar before finishing, "But Eleanor is about to get married to the son of Sonaroh."

Theodore turned bright red. Simon and Alvin's jaws nearly fell to the ground.

"What about the others?" Alvin asked, sounding more concerned than he'd have liked to.

"They're safe for now. I'm just afraid that Brittany's out-spoken nature will get her killed, if not worse." He dug his nails into his palm as he said this.

For a moment, Alvin felt a pang of jealousy, but just as quickly as it had come, it went away.

"Where are they? We have to find them!" Simon said, worry eating at the pit of his stomach.

"I could show you, but I'm not sure if it would be appreciated if I returned so soon." Rayne said, the guard's words running through his head again.

"You could show us and we could go in with out you." Alvin suggested.

Rayne thought about it. "Alright." Alvin nodded briskly. Little did he know that at the moment Rayne was willing to break through the barrier to make sure Brittany was safe.

At the entrance, the same two guards were standing, watching for intruders. "Now, say you need to speak with Sonaroh. They will take you to him."

Simon nodded. It was interesting that there were others. "We need to speak with Sonaroh." He repeated.

"Don't they only speak Indonesian?" Theodore asked.

"They will realize you only speak English." Rayne said. He pushed them forward.

The two guards stood alert and glared at them.

Simon stepped forward. "We need to speak with Sonaroh."

A guard came forward and escorted them to a stone building. There, a male and female were talking in their native language.

"Mereka di sini untuk melihat anda." The guard said.

The male dismissed him and turned to the Chipmunks. Simon cleared his throat. "Um, hello. I'm Simon and these are my brothers, Alvin and Theodore. We are here to retrieve our friends, the Chipettes."

Eleanor kept scooting over, nodding at appropriate intervals. She was running out of space on the bed. Each time she scooted away, he scooted closer. He kept telling her how beautiful she was.

"For the hundredth time, I'm not beautiful! I'm fat!" She said with an inward groan.

"You're not fat! You're voluptuous and womanly! You're special! You're the future mother of my children!" He went on and on and Ellie just rolled her eyes. Until the last part.

"What?!" She literally fell off of the bed.

Jeanette ran her hands through Brittany's hair, trying to calm her down. "Brittany, you are not a stalk of celery. You're not even angel's food cake. You're tiramisu."

Brittany sighed and smiled weakly. She stood up and paced again. She felt like a trapped mouse. She was stuck in a small room that smelled faintly of acorns while her little sister was with some egotistical maniac who's hell-bent on marrying her. Only heaven knows what he was doing to her!

"We've got to get out of here!" Brittany muttered to herself.

She turned as the door opened. "Alvin!"

Alvin grinned. "Brittany!"

Brittany ran towards him. He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist as and they embraced.

Simon cleared his throat.

"You're wrinkling my clothes!" Brittany said. Alvin put her down. He mentally slapped himself.

Jeanette smiled and ran forward to meet Simon. His arms were open for a hug. She leaned forward as he took her into his arms.

"Where's Ellie?" Theodore asked.

Guntur was taken aback. "I only said that you were the mother of my future children."

Eleanor almost choked. "Oh, I heard it. I just don't believe it." She said defiantly. She stood up and raced for the opening. She made her way through the sea of beads and ran like a mad-chipmunk down the long hallway. She crashed to the floor with an oomph.

She beamed at Theodore and hugged him tightly.

"Um guys-" Simon said, but he was cut off by Eleanor. She placed a finger in front of his face and leaned in to kiss Theodore. He placed his hand on the back of her head, drawing her closer to him.

They parted and gasped as Guntur and several guards were running in their direction. Jeanette and Simon helped their siblings up and they all ran down the hall. Their sandals made a no more than a soft pattering sound on the dark earth as they zigzagged between huts.

Brittany gasped as Rayne ran toward her. He took her into his arms and held her close. Alvin snarled and grabbed a machete. Rayne put Brittany down and grabbed another one. He made sure she was safely behind her before lashing out his knife, trying to defend himself against Alvin.

"Why are you fighting me?" He asked, his breathing became shallow.

"You're the reason we're in this mess! If you hadn't brought the girls here, we'd still be on the beach! You should just leave us alone. This has nothing to do with you!" He hissed between gasps of air.

"This has everything to do with me! I love her!" He said, the clashing metal made multicolored sparks fly into the air.

Brittany stared wide-eyed at Alvin, waiting to hear his response. He dropped his knife and took a step back. By this time, a large group of natives were surrounding them.

Guntur had made his way through the crowd. He grabbed Eleanor's wrist and yanked her toward him. Theodore's blood boiled at the sight. He picked up the machete Alvin had dropped and slashed at the Chipmunk's robe, ripping a hole in it.

Alarmed, Guntur let go of Eleanor and turned to Theodore.

"She's with me." Theodore said coldly as Eleanor clutched his arm tightly. Guntur's face fell slightly.

"Please reconsider! I'll die without you!" He pleaded. He clasped his hands together and gave her a puppy-dog look.

Eleanor took the machete from Theodore and pointed it at Guntur's chest.

"Promises, promises." She muttered harshly.


	14. Chapter 14

14

Sonaroh brought all of them back into the stone building and sat them down on the cushions.

"My friends, there are problems bigger than this silly squabble. Wellington has threatened us yet again."

"Wellington? You mean that British prick?" Alvin spat in disgust. Sonaroh nodded and continued:

"The land we live on is very valuable. It is one of the few land plots that has yet to be turned into a tourist trap. Wellington wants this land to build what he calls 'condominiums' on. Due to the strained relationship between the Kecil Satu and the humans, he has arranged a deal. He picks out our individual talents and he rents us out to people to do what ever they want us to do."

"And what do you get in return?" Jeanette asked, shifting her weight slightly.

"We get to live." Sonaroh said sorrowfully.

A chipmunk came in. "Wellington is here! He wants his answer."

Sonaroh stood up and walked out. The Chipmunks, Chipettes, and Rayne followed.

"What are you doing here? I suppose I could find something for you to do." They looked up to see Wellington. He turned back to Sonaroh. "Have you thought about my proposal?"

Sonaroh glared at him. "Yes I have. Our answer is still no."

Wellington shook his head. "Then we will have to do it the hard way."

Several men came crowding in, holding small objects. They had on gas masks. Wellington smirked before putting on his gas mask. He motioned for them to continue with their tasks. The men threw the objects.

"Gas!" Simon gasped, coughing. He reached for Jeanette and held her close.

Eleanor grabbed for Theodore. He put his arms around her, trying to protect her.

Alvin narrowed his eyes at the last thing he saw before growing unconscious: Brittany and Rayne clinging to each other, coughing up a storm.

When Alvin came to, he realized that he was tied to Brittany. The strong scent of roses filled his nostrils. That was her alright.

"Brittany?" He whispered groggily. His hands were tied to hers behind his back. She wriggled her fingers, telling him that she was also awake. His thumb was pressed against her wrist, nearly cutting into her skin. He could feel a faint pulse.

"Gee, Brittany. Why is your heart beating so fast?" He asked teasingly.

"Don't know. Why is there suddenly a brand new hope inside me that is sure to last?" She shot back, stifling a giggle. She tried to turn her head, but just wound up slamming her jaw against his chin.

"Ouch! What was that for?" He hissed under his breath. He tried to look around but the room they were in was pitch dark. He moved his toes and pulled his legs back, pressing them against his chest. His sandals were missing, but he was glad to find that the necklace Brittany had made was still secured around his neck.

Brittany felt the ropes burn her hand as she tried to get her arm through them. She felt the rope on Alvin's wrist with one of her fingers. It was fairly loose and thin.

"I'm sorry! Stay completely still and move your wrist down about an inch." She instructed carefully. She took his wrist into her hand and began to hack at the rope with one of the sharp shells on the bracelet Alvin made. He winced as it cut into his wrist.

After what seemed like hours, the rope that bound their wrists was no longer binding. Brittany let out her breath slowly as Alvin moved his thumb. They struggled to get their arms out of the rope that bound their waists. They stood up at the same time and untied themselves.

Brittany took a moment to try and look around. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness and she could see that they were in a hut that was sealed shut except for one small opening in the roof.

"There's no way out." Alvin muttered, panic sinking in. He turned and looked at Brittany for a moment. The silvery moonlight shone in through the gap, softening her features. He walked forward and resisted the urge to rip out her clip and run his hands through her hair.

The ominous beating of a drum in the distance made them turn to look in that direction. Brittany groaned in aggravation.

"Still think I've come undone? Every part of that wretched riddle has come true!" She said, her panic fueling her adrenaline.

"What are you talking about? Are you telling me that that Rayne guy shines like a star?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not Rayne, you idiot! You!" She shouted at him. The moment the words escaped her mouth, she regretted them.

His face was completely emotionless. For a moment, she decided that he would've made a great poker player, but then she returned to reality and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on! It's not like I've never said I loved you before. Remember when you overheard me saying it? You said that you were irresistible." She said with a small laugh.

"It's not the same this time. He loves you too." Alvin said, sitting on the ground.

Had Brittany heard him correctly? "Too?" She scurried over to him and fell to the ground, the scratchy material of her sarong rubbing painfully against her thigh.

"Y-you love me too? Don't you dare lie to me." She said, taking his face in her hands and looking him in the eye. He gently lowered her hands and took a deep breath.

"I love you more than I'll ever admit to." His face held a pained expression, like he'd just ripped off a band-aid.

She leaned in and held him tightly. She could feel his hands resting lightly on her waist. She brought her hand to his face and began to stroke his cheek lovingly.

"That still doesn't tell me much seeing as how you've never admitted to loving me." She said skeptically, pulling away.

"Well, the Rayne guy can't love you that much. He hasn't come to save his damsel in distress." He said spitefully.

Not quite five seconds after he said this, a loud ripping noise filled their ears. They turned to their right and saw the tip of a long sharp blade stick through the tough bamboo wall of the hut. Rayne poked his head through the opening he made and smiled adoringly at Brittany.

Brittany could barely hold back her laughter at the look on Alvin's face. It would be forever burned into her memory. His eyes were filled with what could only be described as: AAARRRGH!

Rayne made his way through the wall and trotted over to Brittany. He took her in his arms and held her tightly, caressing her hair. She smiled at no one in particular and patted his shoulder. She felt her stomach tie itself into knots. Why did she feel so guilty?

Alvin turned away. He suddenly felt like a third wheel. He couldn't bear to see her this way, so he stuck by his beliefs: "When in pain, resort to sarcasm."

"When you've finished with the 'touching reunion', can we get the hell out of here?" They both turned and glared at him.

Jeanette carefully followed Simon's very precise directions. After a few moments of struggling, their arms were no longer behind their backs. Simon brought his arms, as well as Jeanette's, over his head. He was working on the knot in the rope around their waists. He let out a triumphant laugh as the rope fell to the ground. The only problem now was that their hands were tied together, not that they were complaining…

"I am your spaniel; and, Demetrius, the more you beat me, I will fawn on you: Use me but as your spaniel, spurn me, strike me, neglect me, lose me; only give me leave, unworthy as I am, to follow you." Jeanette let out a small, weak laugh.

"Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Come on Jeanette!" Simon groaned with mock distain.

She turned slightly and gazed into his Stormy grey eyes. Her own were brimmed with tears.

"I don't deserve you." She whispered.

He ran his finger along the corner of her eyes, wiping the tears away. "On the contrary, it is I who don't deserve you." He murmured, touching his nose to hers and nuzzling her gently.

They both turned abruptly as the tip of a machete knife made its way into the hut. Simon nudged her forward and they met their siblings and Rayne, who kindly cut the rope that bound their hands. Simon rubbed his wrists and smiled sheepishly at Jeanette, who returned the favor.

They felt relieved to be with one another again. Rayne smiled grimly at the reunion and insisted that they find Eleanor and Theodore. The chipmunk siblings nodded and ran towards a hut that was very close to that of Simon and Jeanette.

When they cut their way through the bamboo and into the hut, they laughed adoringly at the fact that the two were still asleep. They nudged them awake and cut them loose. Ellie eyed Rayne wryly, seeing a certain longing in his eyes. She took her sister's arm protectively and they moved onward.

They were stopped by five men armed with large pistols. One large bald man curled up his lip and growled. He cracked his knuckles and grabbed Alvin by the scruff of his neck.

"Let me go, you steroid-abusing freak!" Alvin snarled, wriggling about helplessly. Brittany narrowed her eyes and stalked forward like a prowess. She jumped up and sunk her teeth into his wrist.

He let out a small cry of pain and released Alvin. The others were also struggling with their captors. Rayne was being held back by two men. One of them began to snicker at his fellow's predicament.

"Hope you got a rabies shot!" He spat with a bark of laughter. The others began to chuckle at the joke.

"Can ya handle the rodent or do we need to call an exterminator?" Another man sneered.

"Filthy creatures!" The man shouted, grabbing both Brittany and Alvin at the same time. Another man, having already successfully tied up Ellie and Theodore, helped him tie them up.

All six chipmunks were tied together beside their respective captors. One of them reached out and touched Alvin's arm.

"Hmm. Soft. I wonder if it'll get mad if I rub its fur the wrong way." He said with a grin. He nudged his friend and they cackled menacingly. They began to experiment with the theory and indeed, Alvin began to wince when they rubbed his fur the wrong way. Brittany began to struggle against her constraints.

"How dare you, you son of a-" She was interrupted by her captor who began to chuckle heartily.

"You kiss your boyfriend with that mouth?" He snorted.

"He's not my boyfriend." She said coldly, her face emotionless. She shut her eyes and shuddered as the men began to go "Awwww" in mock concern. Alvin felt this and allowed his chin to sink into his chest slightly.


	15. Chapter 15

15

Wellington hovered over them like a rain cloud. His face held a smirk that Alvin would've gladly slapped off in a moment's notice.

"Where are the others?" He spat.

"They did what they were told like good little rodents should. You are the most persistent little buggers I've ever met. All I want is for you to become slaves that I can auction off to the highest bidder. Is that too much to ask?" He said, attaching a strange looking bracelet on each of their left wrists.

"The others were ever so agreeable when I used these, perhaps this will shock you into reality." He said, smiling at his own pun.

"You're so not funny." Brittany scoffed. He looked slightly discouraged for a moment, but brought out a small remote.

"Alvin is it? You're obviously alpha in your little pack here. It would be appreciated if you convinced them to cave in. Otherwise…"

"Hurt me all you like! I'll never give in!" Alvin snarled bravely puffing his chest out.

"It's not that simple." Wellington leered. With the push of a button, Brittany began to writhe in pain. She let out a cry that pierced Alvin to the core.

"Changed your mind yet?" Wellington said, trying to persuade him. Alvin raised his chin a fraction of an inch in defiance.

"Very well." He muttered pressing a few more buttons. Alvin's brothers and the Chipettes screamed as the electricity coursed through their bodies.

"Leave them alone!" Rayne shouted from the sidelines. He couldn't bear to see Brittany in this much pain.

"What do you care? They're just vermin. Nothing to get choked up about." Wellington said, as though the idea that they were of any value was laughable.

"She means more to me than you'll ever know." He said harshly, lowering his head slightly.

"Ooookay. I've heard some disgusting things in my lifetime, but that takes the cake."

Brittany let out a low growl at that remark, though she couldn't help but feel the same way. His compassion was somewhat sickening.

The next few minutes were a blur. Several men in dark clothing arrived from nowhere and began to shoot tranquilizer darts into each of the large burly men. They helped untie the chipmunks and Rayne began to hug one of them appreciatively.

Alvin helped Brittany up and dusted himself off. She smiled wryly at the men who were now in a heap on the ground.

"Uh, Rayne? What did they do to them?" Jeanette asked, a look of concern clouding her eyes.

A heavy set man walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder. He smiled down at her and began to chuckle.

"They'll be fine. They just have enough tranquilizers in their systems to take down a bull elephant."

Jeanette grew visibly pale and smiled weakly. Simon walked over to her and led her to a log to sit on. He pressed her against him and patted the back of her head reassuringly.

They all jumped in shock as Wellington began to regain consciousness. He looked up at Rayne groggily.

"Until one has loved an animal, part of one's soul remains unawakened!" He spat, giggling hysterically. Two men walked up to the tied up man and stuck a needle into his vein. He fell back into unconsciousness in a few moments.

Rayne was trembling with rage. Why couldn't they understand? He loved her, and that was all that mattered. He scooted closer to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. He grinned with satisfaction as she rested her head against his chest.

"Rayne?" She murmured lightly, gently shrugging his arm off. He cocked his head to one side and listened to what she had to say.

"I still don't understand what's going on or who these people are." She said, crinkling her nose as she looked over the group of rather hefty men.

"Well, my father and his buddies are in a group that works to help the Kecil Satu. You see, when my mother went into labor, she was on a nature hike in the forest. The Kecil Satu helped her all they could, but they still lost her. My family is grateful for their efforts. We believe that they deserve equal rights. When some arrogant jerk like Wellington tries to exploit them, we come to the rescue." He explained, smiling with pride. Brittany nodded, letting the information sink in.

A light hand rested on Brittany's other shoulder. She looked up and gasped as the blonde-haired chipmunk from her dream gave her a reassuring smile. She had fur even lighter than Brittany's and a long flowing white gown on.

"Hello, Brittany dear. Have you made your choice?" She asked, eyeing Rayne with a knowing smile.

"No." She breathed in wonder. The chipmunk brought her to her feet and took her into a hut. There was a smoky scent given off by tall white candles and burning incense. There were three long gowns similar to hers laid out on a large golden cushion. The chipmunk waited patiently as Brittany changed into one of them.

"Brittany, who you choose affects not only you, but your sisters and the Chipmunks. If you choose Rayne, you shall never see your family again, but to choose him brings the deepest pain imaginable."

"Oh, yeah? What could be worse than being separated from my family?" She asked, close to tears.

"Love." She said simply. And with that, she ushered Brittany out of the hut and disappeared into the night, though not before handing her the other two gowns.

"Who was she?" Brittany asked Rayne.

"Cahaya, the shaman. Her name means light, for obvious reasons. You are very lucky to be able to speak with her. She is quite hard to contact." He said in awe.

Brittany told her sisters about her encounter with Cahaya and they agreed to slip into the gowns, though none of them knew the purpose. When they met up with the boys again, they crossed their arms over their chests uncomfortably. They eyed the form-fitting gowns with the plunging neck-lines with visible interest.

"My eyes are up here, Theo." Ellie said, slightly annoyed. Theodore blushed and met her soft brown eyes.

Jeanette absent-mindedly began to fumble with her hair. It was coming loose, so she took out the ribbon altogether and started to tie it back up. Simon took her hand and brought it down to her side.

"I like it better that way." He said with a grin. She gave a nervous grin and murmured a "thank you."

He reached out with one hand and ran his fingers through the soft brown silk. She exhaled slowly and her lips curved up as he took his hand away. He blinked a few times and shook his head. She had a way of taking his breath away every time she smiled.

They all walked back to the area of logs, where the rest of the chipmunks were recuperating from Wellington's "shock therapy." They all took a seat in the corner by Rayne.

Rayne nudged Brittany and pulled her over to a corner. He cleared his throat and chuckled softly.

"We really need to talk, sayang." He said, taking her hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. She nodded and swallowed hard. She decided that if he got on one knee, she was running for the hills.

"I'm in love with you. I know it seems wrong, but it's true. I fear that if you go back to America, I'll never see you again. And I can't bear the thought of not being with you." He murmured, his voice wavering.

"Rayne…" For once in her life, she was at a loss for words. "I love you too, just not in the same way. You're a great friend, but…" She trailed off, averting his gaze.

Alvin dug his nails into the bark of the tree he was leaning on. Theodore walked over, swallowing his mango slice.

"What's wrong Alvin?" He asked, completely oblivious. He shrunk back and scurried over to Eleanor when Alvin glared at him.

"It's that Chipmunk isn't it?" Rayne asked bitterly. He turned away, his nostrils flaring with anger.

She took his hand in hers, and gently touched his cheek, bringing his gaze back to hers.

"Alvin knows me in the most intimate of ways. We have a sort of bond that no other guy could possibly share with me." She murmured. She couldn't believe she actually admitted that! Good thing Alvin didn't overhear it.

"S-so you love him?" He asked, his face twisted in pain.

"That's a question I cannot answer." She nearly whispered. A few tears fell down her cheeks and were absorbed by the fertile soil. He took her face in his hands and touched his lips to hers. The kiss was soft, but slowly grew more intense. She pulled away and took a deep breath.

"Remember? The key to happiness is a large family. I can't give you that." She said softly, stroking his cheek with the back of her hand.

He nodded grimly and let out a heavy sigh. They gave each other knowing looks as Alvin began to sweet-talk the large chipmunk with the drum. He nodded and started to beat his instrument in a slow smooth sound. Other chipmunks joined in with smaller percussion instruments, including one that looked somewhat like a harp.

Alvin began to croon a soft romantic song and he attempted to flirt with a few of the female chipmunks, though many weren't sure what to make of him.

"Excuse me, I'm just gonna go wring his neck." Brittany said sweetly. Rayne laughed half-heartedly and watched as she flounced over to where Alvin stood.

"What do you think you're doing, mister?" She asked. She placed her hands on her hips and tapped her foot impatiently.

"I'm rockin' this town." He said with a wink, slightly offended at her condescending tone.

"That's not possible." She said breezily, a grin tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"Oh, yeah? And why is that?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"'Cause you can't rock anything without me." She said confidently, puffing out her chest indignantly.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Alvin! You don't want another repeat of Athens do ya?" Theodore asked anxiously.

"Hit it boys!" Brittany belted out, looking over her shoulder at Alvin. The band Alvin had created blasted out a lively, familiar tune.

"God! Our life sounds like a broken record." Simon moaned to Jeanette, hiding his face with his hand. Jeanette sighed and patted him on the back supportively.

"Ooh, baby! Let's give 'em somethin' to talk about!" Brittany crooned at Alvin. He grinned and grabbed her waist, bringing her towards him. He spun her and the hem of her white gown flared out, revealing her thighs.

The rest of the chipmunks began to wolf whistle as the Chipmunks and Chipettes danced and sang. In the middle of one song, it took both of Brittany's sisters and Alvin's brothers to restrain her from decapitating him. By the end of the night, they were all exhausted and relieved when Rayne's father suggested to take them back to the hotel.

Once they got there, they all went straight to their beds and collapsed as Rayne's father explained the situation thoroughly to Dave and Miss Miller. They didn't quite believe him, but they were just glad that their children were back and safe.

They eyed the dresses as they went to tuck them in, but they didn't say anything. For now, they were content just seeing them sleeping peacefully. It wasn't the same as when they walked in on all of them sleeping together, but it'd have to do. Dave pulled the blanket up to Alvin's chin and kissed him lightly on the forehead.

Alvin began to paw at the covers and kick his feet. The cover fell back down to its original position: barely covering him. Dave sighed and shook his head. Even as he slept, Alvin was defiant. Dave could only imagine what was going through his head. Alvin's eyebrows were furrowed in concentration, his jaws clenched and unclenched as though he were still singing.


	16. Epilogue

Epilogue

They made their way out the hotel and met up with Rayne and his father. Dave shook hands with the man that had brought back his sons. Rayne stood beside his father, keeping a respectful distance.

Alvin sauntered over to him and grinned triumphantly. Simon and Theodore followed for good measure.

"Don't feel too bad, Rayne." Alvin said, a certain pride making his eyes shine. "She was made for me." He said, grabbing onto Brittany's arm and bringing her close to him. She felt her cheeks grow hot as Rayne's nostrils flared with anger.

To top it off, he leaned in and kissed her on the lips. Her eyes flew open wide and she pressed her hands on his chest, trying to push him away. When she'd finally managed to pry him off, she'd wished she hadn't. The look of pain on Rayne's face made her want to bury her face in Alvin's shirt.

Brittany gave Alvin a dirty look and walked over to Rayne. He gazed after her and shook his head, wiping his mouth. What had he just done? What happened to old Alvin? The Alvin that thought kissing the girl was "disgusting."

"I guess this is good bye." She murmured to Rayne, trying hard not to cry.

"Frankly, you couldn't survive here long-term." He said, a playful smile on his face. His expression turned serious as he began to sing softly:

Saya menjaga anda selama-lamanya dan bagi always,

A agar tetap enak tempat di jantung saya ialah di mana anda akan stay

Jika pernah jantung anda ialah broken

saya akan mengulangi kata saya sudah berbicara

She gave him a quizzical look, so he bent down and whispered the translation in her ear.

She smiled warmly and gave him one last squeeze before walking over to the familiar mustang. The hotel apologized for any inconvenience and insisted on paying their airfare home. They put Wellington away for a while, and made sure all of the Kecil Satu were safe.

Rayne waved slowly, as they drove off down the road towards the airport. A melancholy expression passed over his face, but it turned into a look of acceptance. It didn't matter who she spent her life with. All that mattered to him was that she spent her life the way she wished. He knew it sounded cliché, but he just wanted her to be happy.

Brittany sat on the window side again, but beside her sat her sister, Eleanor. The words Rayne sang to her sent chills down her spine. She'd regret her decision, but then she'd remembered the way Alvin had kissed her. True, it might have just been to make Rayne jealous, but she liked to believe that she'd felt something besides adrenaline rush through her. Sure, it wasn't the way she'd imagined her first kiss from Alvin would be like, but it was definitely something she'd never forget.

Eleanor asked her about what Rayne had said to her. She told her younger sister that he had sung her something in Indonesian. When Ellie what he had sung, she reluctantly told her the English version:

I'm keeping you forever and for always,

A cozy place in my heart you will stay.

If ever your heart should get broken,

I'll repeat the words I have spoken.

"I regret your decision already." Eleanor said with a dreamy sigh. Brittany gave her a gentle nudge and giggled.

"I still want to know how Alvin found out." Brittany said, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

"Well, Jeanette told Simon, and Theodore overheard. And well, one thing led to another." Ellie said, squirming with discomfort.

Alvin couldn't help but feel bothered about the kiss he sort of forced onto Brittany. Whenever he did something, it had to be absolutely perfect. He didn't like the idea that Rayne could possibly be a better kisser. And, at the moment, he wasn't really aiming for perfection; he just wanted to make Rayne jealous. And it worked. He smiled smugly, but his face fell when he looked at Brittany.

He had caught her looking at him. She narrowed her eyes and hissed, turning away. He growled under his breath and dug his fingers into the arm of his seat. What was that for? Was she mad because of the kiss, or had he messed up something else? Better question: Why did he care?

September 17

Several months later, the Chipettes made their way towards the Seville residence. They walked in and greeted them with waves and smiles…and scowls.

"So, Ellie, what did you think of the algebra teacher, Mr. Thompson?" Theodore asked casually stretching.

"He's impossible! He gave me a D on our first test." She said, pouting slightly. Theo nodded and smiled sympathetically.

"Actually, we wanted you to come over for a reason." Simon said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. This caught Brittany's attention.

"As you may or may not remember," Simon said, eyeing Alvin with distaste, "Exactly six years ago today, we had the good fortune of meeting you three. And ever since then, we've been through a lot together. We'd just like to thank you all for the joy you've brought into our lives." His voice cracked at the last part. He cleared his throat and smiled sheepishly. Jeanette's adoring gaze made him blush furiously.

"That's so thoughtful!" Eleanor gushed, grinning from ear to ear. At this point, Dave came into the room, holding a large photograph. All six of them were alert and curious.

"Happy anniversary!" Dave crowed, placing the photo on the coffee table for them all to see.

It was the photo that Dave had taken of them while they slept. Brittany reached out gingerly and traced the line of her smile. There was no way! That was impossible!

Alvin's jaw dropped. He couldn't remember. Had he really been clinging to Brittany? There was a soft contented smile on his lips that wasn't his own. He was afraid to look Brittany in the eye. He slowly turned his head. They looked into each other's big blue eyes for what seemed like forever.

"It must have been subconscious." Brittany whispered, recalling Simon's words. Alvin nodded slowly.

"Dave!" Simon groaned, though there was laughter in his eyes. He looked down at the picture and placed a hand on the spot on his cheek where Jeanette's hand had rested. He could still feel her touch, as though it were imprinted on his cheek.

Eleanor giggled and nearly jumped onto Theodore's lap. She smiled and gave him a warm hug.

"Happy anniversary, everyone!" She said with a longing sigh.

"Happy anniversary." Alvin and Brittany said in unison, their voices a bland monotone. Their eyes were still locked, shocked expressions painted onto their faces.

"Happy anniversary! Here's to another eternity." Simon said, taking Jeanette's hand in his and giving it a small squeeze.

They all sat there, the lives they shared together flashing before their eyes. At the moment, they couldn't even remember the lives they had lived before they had met their friends. Hopefully, they would never have to remember not holding each other in their arms. They would be together always. Their bond: unexplainable. Their love: indelible.


End file.
